Pregnant Pilates Classes Waterbury CT

Local resource for pregnant pilates classes in Waterbury, CT. Includes detailed information on local businesses that provide access to pregnant pilates classes, prenatal fitness classes, and prenatal yoga classes, as well as advice and content on pregnancy and exercise, pregnancy exercises, and healthy pregnancies.

Pilates and Pregnancy: Safe Ab Exercises

By Debbi Goodman, MSPT

Pilates is a wonderful form of exercise for pregnant women. Through Pilates, women can stay strong and fit throughout their pregnancies. Pilates can help women stay connected to their changing body, improve posture and reduce pregnancy aches and pains. However, Pilates instructors working with this population need to be knowledgeable about the anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, as well as about the birth process. In addition, it is extremely important that Pilates instructors have a clear understanding of how pregnancy affects the abdominal muscles.

Pregnancy: A Real Ab StretchDuring the course of pregnancy, the abdominal muscles will stretch by over 50 percent of their original length. Strengthening the abdominal muscles is critical during pregnancy to help support the growing uterus, decrease lumbar compression and reduce pelvic pressure. Women who practice safe abdominal strengthening during pregnancy have less low back pain, less pelvic pain, better mobility, easier deliveries and faster recoveries.

During pregnancy, a hormone is present, called relaxin, which helps to increase laxity of all the muscles, joints, ligaments and joint capsules. The purpose of this hormone is to increase mobility of the tissues so that the body is able to accommodate the rapid fetal growth and prepare the body for delivery. The abdominal muscles are most directly affected by the growing fetus and have the ability to stretch significantly as the fetus grows. The Diastasis RectiAt about 20 weeks and often sooner for a second pregnancy, the rectus abdominus will begin to separate along the linea alba with the two rectus halves moving laterally. This is called a diastasis recti.

Diagram courtesy of Healthy Moms Fitness

This is a normal occurrence during pregnancy, and this will occur in almost all women. However, when the diastasis recti occurs, there is less support for the lower back, which often results in an increase in low back pain or other discomforts. In addition, women who do not control the size of the diastasis may have difficulty closing it postpartum and may be at risk for an umbilical hernia, especially if there is a subsequent pregnancy without proper closure of the separation.

Exercises to Avoid During PregnancyPilates instructors working with pregnant women need to pay careful attention to making sure the chosen exercises are appropriate for this group. Exercises that make the diastasis worse are any movements that require the rectus abdominus to contract strongly against gravity. When the rectus is asked to contract strongly, if the integrity of the muscle is lost, the two halves of the muscle will shorten and contract as two separate units with each half moving laterally. This, in turn, opens the separation further.

Precautions need to be taken during any supine exercises that involve lifting the head and shoulders off the gro...

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